Season 1

Syed Nadeem, ACMA, CFM was building the kind of career many finance professionals work toward. ✅ He had the certifications. ✅ The global experience. ✅ The leadership role. Then, out of nowhere, he lost his job. That was his turning point. He started focusing on skills no certification had taught...

If you’ve ever lost sleep over complex contracts, usage-based pricing, or revenue schedules that live in hundreds spreadsheet tabs, this episode is for you. I’m joined by Apurv Bansal, co-founder and CEO of Zenskar, to talk about how AI is helping SaaS companies automate billing and revenue recogni...

udit Director at FORVIS Mazars and board treasurer for Girls on the Run Georgia, Kendra LaFleur opens up about her journey from intern to partner, how she grew into strategic leadership, and how she navigates the evolving role of finance in mission-driven organizations.

Stephen McLain led 250 soldiers as an Army Commander. He built internal controls in Iraq to fight fraud and misuse of funds. And, he defended military budgets in front of NATO. Now, he helps corporate finance and accounting teams fix problems with their internal processes, financial modeling, and s...

Treasury often works behind the scenes, but Matthew Harlan shows why it should be a key player at the table. We cover what treasury leaders bring to IPO readiness, how to rethink working capital, and how finance teams can collaborate better across functions.

Jenny Fuss has led finance teams in Germany, China, and the United States. Each move meant learning a new way of working. In this episode, she shares how working and living in three different countries shaped her leadership style and helped her lead major transformations with clarity and confidence.

Tamica Williams went from relying on food pantries as a kid to leading the largest food bank in Georgia as CFO. She shares how she made the jump from teaching to accounting, built her career and why leadership is about showing up 100% no matter where you start.

Jack McCullough has spent decades in the CFO seat, but his biggest impact may be what he’s done for the next generation of CFOs. He’s the founder of the CFO Leadership Council, a global community of over 2,500 senior finance leaders, and the author of three books including Secrets of Rockstar CFOs ...

Accounting is her superpower and she’s using it in every way imaginable. Meet Professor Baseemah Nance, CPA! 📊 Chief Financial and Administrative Officer 📚 Accounting professor 📱 Amazing content creator ✍🏾 Author of a financial literacy book for kids

In this solo episode, I answer 4 questions from my newsletter subscribers: - Is the climb and reach to CFO worth it? - Do you enjoy the work and people? - Do you have work-life balance? - What helped you get there?

In this episode of the Diary of a CFO podcast, Edwine Alphonse shares her journey from a work-study student in Canada to a senior controller at Ramp, discussing her experiences in startups, the importance of accounting, and how to build a high-performing finance team. She emphasizes the critical ro...

In this episode of the Diary of a CFO podcast, John Glasgow, CEO and founder of Campfire, discusses his career journey from a finance executive at Adobe and Bill.com to founding a modern accounting platform for tech companies. Glasgow talks about his entrepreneurial inspirations, the challenges of t...

In this episode of 'The Diary of a CFO' podcast, host Wassia Kamon converses with Sindy Wilson, a seasoned finance executive with over two decades of experience, including roles at Kickstarter, Lyft, Autotrader, and EY. The discussion covers Sindy's career journey, the unexpected pivots she took, an...

In this episode of Diary of a CFO, I reflect on my first six months in the role—the lessons, surprises, and challenges of truly stepping into C-suite leadership. One of the biggest adjustments has been understanding the difference between presenting to a board and actively working with one. Preparin...

Nonprofit finance is more complex than it seems, and even well-funded organizations can struggle without proper financial management. Stephen Newland, fractional CFO and founder of MoneyPath, breaks down key challenges nonprofits face, from relying too much on budgets instead of cash flow to navigat...

After 25 years as a CFO, Jeremy Earnshaw shifted from managing numbers to mentoring leaders. He shares key lessons on leadership, decision-making, and communication. Great CFOs master tough conversations, delivering hard truths with solutions. Waiting for perfect information leads to paralysis—strat...

The numbers don’t lie, but they don’t tell the whole story either. Beverly Davis has spent years helping businesses uncover what’s really holding them back. Misaligned strategies, poor communication, and hidden inefficiencies can derail execution before it even begins. In this episode, we break down...

Being a CFO is like playing chess on a moving train—there’s always another fire to put out, another risk to assess, and another strategy to refine. Scott Meyers, CFO of Plurilock, has seen it all and brings a sharp perspective (and plenty of humor) to the conversation. From navigating board expectat...

Most career paths follow a predictable route, but Janice Stucke, CPA, took a different approach. From managing refugee programs around the world to leading digital transformations and now serving as CFO, she embraced growth through action. If that wasn’t enough, she also trained for and completed an...

CFOs across the globe face similar challenges, and my first international guest, Basem Waheed, CMA, CTP, proves it. As the CFO of Golden Chicken Farms Co. in Saudi Arabia, he led a digital transformation that cut his company’s month-end close process to just one day. His career journey offers valuab...

I sat down with rockstar CFO Jessica E. McClain to talk about leadership, career growth, and the human side of success. With accolades like Most Powerful Women in Accounting and Black CPA Centennial 40 Under 40, Jessica’s resume is impressive—but her approach to leadership is refreshingly down-to-ea...

In this episode, I had the pleasure of speaking with Bryan Lapidus, FPAC, a finance leader whose career journey proves that adaptability and curiosity can open unexpected doors. From history major to finance executive, Bryan shares how embracing both technical expertise and big-picture thinking can ...

Ever wonder what really happens after you hit "Submit" on a job application? Do recruiters even see it, and if they do, what makes them take notice? In this episode, I chat with executive recruiter Amy Sulgrove, who shares eye-opening insights on how hiring works in the AI era and the common mistake...

Feeling stuck in your career despite doing everything “right”? You’re not alone—I’ve been there too. Hard work and education got me to a certain point, but breaking into executive leadership required a shift in mindset. Executives make up less than 1% of most organizations, and getting there means t...

Here’s what Brenda’s bold moves can teach us about leadership: Be Seen and Heard: Strategic influence starts with being in the room where decisions are made. Brenda emphasizes showing up, speaking up, and stepping beyond the numbers to offer broader solutions. Build Trust at All Levels: Trust isn’t...

The first 90 days in a CFO role come with high expectations—not just for technical expertise but for leadership, relationship-building, and strategic decision-making. In this episode, I reflect on what I did right, what I could have done better, and key lessons for anyone stepping into a new leaders...

Starting a new role as CFO goes beyond managing the numbers—it’s about setting the right tone, building early momentum, and aligning with the business on success. In this episode, Matt Ziegler shares insights from his first 90 days at GovExec, offering strategies any leader can use to establish a st...

In this episode, I sit down with Elaine Benfield, a marketing leader with over 20 years of experience, to discuss why finance and marketing teams often clash and how they can work better together. Misalignment between these departments can lead to tension and missed opportunities, but clear communic...

In part three of What They Don’t Tell You About Becoming a CFO, I dive into one of the toughest but most essential lessons for finance leaders: You can't say yes to everything. While it’s tempting to agree to every request to prove your value, overcommitting can hurt your credibility, overwhelm your...

In part two of What They Don’t Tell You About Becoming a CFO, I explore a key reality for finance leaders: the higher you go, the more time you’ll spend talking to people outside of finance. Your success won’t just depend on technical expertise—it will hinge on your ability to translate complex fina...